1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for transferring a layer of a material, such as a correction material, from a tape-like carrier to a surface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Known devices for transferring to a surface a layer of material, for instance correcting material, supplied on a tape-like carrier, include a housing with a rotatable supply reel for the carrier with the material for transferring, a rotatable take-up reel for the carrier after transfer of the material, a transfer member protruding from the housing through a first opening for placing on the surface and along which the carrier with the material is guided, and means for covering the transfer member, said covering means being displaceable between a first position leaving the transfer member free and a second position covering the transfer member. Such a device, which is referred to as a correction roller, is known from DE-A-196 11 440.
With such a correction roller a strip of self-adhesive correcting material can be applied to a surface, for instance to conceal relatively large writing errors. It is then possible to write normally on the correcting material. In the known correction roller the material is arranged on a tape-like carrier which is wound onto a supply reel and guided along the transfer member or the xe2x80x9cfootxe2x80x9d to a take-up reel. The take-up reel and supply reel are both accommodated rotatably in a housing or frame to which the foot is also fixed, and are connected by means of a coupling so that a rotation of the one reel results in a corresponding rotation of the other reel. In order to compensate differences in the rotation speed resulting from differences in the thickness of the reels, the coupling is usually embodied as a slip coupling. For use the correction roller is simply pressed with its foot onto the surface and subsequently moved therealong, whereby the tape-like carrier with correcting material is unwound from the supply reel as a consequence of the friction. The supply reel rotates, whereby the take-up reel is also rotated and the carrier is wound thereon. Because there is less adhesion between the correcting material and the carrier than between the correcting material and the surface, the correcting material remains behind on the surface.
In conventional correction rollers the foot always protrudes outside the housing. This has the consequence that when the correction roller is not in use there is the danger of the correcting material unintentionally adhering to for instance the clothing of the user. In order to obviate this danger it had already been proposed to arrange a releasable cap over the foot which can be removed prior to use. Such a cap was found in practice not to function properly because it often got lost.
The above-identified prior art document DE-A-196 11 440 already discloses a correction roller having a covering member that is slideably arranged in the housing of the roller. Making use of a covering member connected to the housing prevents this being lost, so that a good protection of the foot is ensured in all circumstances when the correction roller is not in use. This prior art covering member, which surrounds the foot, is cylindrical and in its rest position partially protrudes from the housing through the same opening as the foot. For displacing the covering member from its position of rest to its operative position, the user must grip and pull the end part of the covering member. This implies an awkward movement, which cannot be performed single-handedly.
The invention therefore has for its object to provide a device of the above described type which is improved from an ergonomical point of view, and which is thus easier to handle. This is achieved according to the invention in such a device by an operating member connected to the covering means and protruding from a second opening arranged in a wall of the housing. Since the operating member is thus accessible through a wall of the housing, the covering means are easy to operate with the same hand that holds the roller, which allows an ergonomically favorable roller design to be obtained.
In a structurally relatively simple embodiment of the invention which is very practical in use, the covering means comprise a slide.
Advantageously, the operating member herein protrudes out of the housing through a slot extending in the displacement direction of the slide, whereby an additional guiding for the slide is created and the stroke of the slide can be bounded by the ends of the slot.
When the operating member is fixed from the outside of the housing to the covering means, the is dimensions thereof do not have to be limited to the width of the slot, thereby enabling an ergonomically optimal operating member.
In its covering position the covering slide preferably defines a support surface together with a part of the housing. The device can thus be put aside easily when not in use.
When the covering slide is at least partially flexible, it can be guided in simple manner along the inner side of the wall of the housing, thereby achieving a large measure of freedom in the design and placing of the slide. The slide can herein be embodied such that in its covering position it at least partially encloses the transfer member, thus achieving optimum protection of the transfer member.